Q&A with Paul Cook of Paul Cook and the Chronicles

If you haven't noticed by now by my many posts about 'Paul Cook and the Chronicles' (ex. #4 on my list of my top 10 favorite songs of 2012) I'm a big fan of his, borderline obsession probably. I was able to do a Q&A interview with Paul Cook and here is a look into his musical world. Be sure to show him support by buying his music.

Q: What made you want to be a musician as a career?
A: I heard The Beatles as an infant and never wanted to be anything else.

Q: Who are your musical inspirations and what song or artist would you say is your biggest influence?
A: I don't have a single biggest influence as my musical mood changes a lot. People like Evan Dando, Elliot Smith, Paul Simon, Gram Parsons are the songwriters I return to again and again

Q: What the process you go through when you’re making music?
A: I wait until I'm miserable about something then get the guitar! Sometimes a whole song comes out, but I also have hundreds of verses or choruses sitting around waiting to be finished off.

Q: I have a huge obsession with the song ‘Candlelight’ from your album ‘Paul Cook & The Chronicles - Volume One’. What inspired that song?

A: A theme I always return to is hope & heartache. At the time I'd just started seeing a girl I knew was probably out of my league and was pretty sure it would end badly. Needless to say it did, but in the early stages of a relationship like that there's so much wanting.

Q: What is your personal favorite song off the album and why?
A: Girl Trouble. It's the song I listen to on my ipod when I'm on my way home drunk and remember the crazy situation that was going on when I wrote it.

Q: I know you’ve toured in the U.K but is there any chance of you touring in the U.S anytime soon? I know I’d be happy if you toured over here.
A: Anythings possible. I'd love to do a U.S tour so we'll see what happens in 2013.

Q: What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far as a musician and what goals do you have for yourself in the future?
A: I'd say my greatest achievement is volume one and (just finished) volume two. My goal for the future as always is to write some of the best songs ever written.

Q: I was looking and I saw that your album ‘Volume Two’ will be out in early February, will it have the same feel and sound of your debut album or will it be different?
A: Volume two is more ambitious production-wise, which almost killed me on our zero budget. Some of the songs sound bigger as we allowed the drummer into the room a bit more, but the theme of the album is still the same.